Wasted
by WinnieBoo
Summary: Lauren Evans has never known stability, and moving to Chicago may not have been the right move for that, but she knows that someday she'll understand the strong pull the Windy City has over her.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor do I claim to, own anything (or one) from Chicago PD. All who you might recognize are likely from the show, I only own my original characters.  
**

* * *

Light snow blanketed the streets, causing the bitter Chicago wind seem even colder. Lauren Evans shuddered and pulled the thick jacket closer to her shivering frame to conserve heat. Her heart thumped wildly against her chest as she watched the lumbering shadow behind her trail even closer. Silently, she willed her breathing to calm, slowly inhaling and exhaling through her nose.

She searched the empty street for any sign of nightlife, and for the first time since she moved, it held none. No thug teens out on the corner selling their narcotics, no jogging woman with a leashed dog by her side- nothing. She tugged her lip between straight teeth as she contemplated her options: she could either keep at her pace now, slow and steady, not alarming the person behind her and cause them to run after her, or she could run herself and make it to her apartment, which she could now see, faster.

_Just a little further._

She turned slightly to the side hoping to get a glance at the man behind her for her call to the police when she finally found the comfort of her home, but the hood from his jacket hung over his darkened features, hindering her to make a complete visualization- everything except the sinister grin that formed on his cracked lips.

She flinched outwardly, quickly deciding to pull her purse to her chest and dig for the pepper spray that took up residency on the bottom of her bag- the small bottle fit snugly in her clammy hand. She gripped the cross hanging from the chain on her neck with her left hand, sending up a silent prayer before she stopped to turn toward the stranger.

"What do you want from me?"

"Shut up," he pointed a long finger at her. "Don't make a sound."

She shivered, and this time not from the cold, when he got within arms reach. Quickly she took a deep breath and aimed the nozzle of the bottle toward him almost smiling as liquid fire dampened his eyes. He howled, hunching forward and clawed at his eyes when the burning overtook him; she took this as her chance to run.

The thin heels on her feet clacked against the frozen pavement and prevented her from moving as quickly as she could have, but still she continued to stumble toward the old brick building perched on the corner. She reach her arm out, her fingers stretching to grasp the door handle when she got close enough. Just as her hand wrapped around the cold metal she was promptly ripped away from it.

She felt the bones in her wrist pull slightly apart as she attempted to keep her grip on the door, but that was a losing battle. She fought against him kicking and screaming. She balled her hand into a fist and hit him hard in his chest, crying out as she felt a stab of pain in her wrist. He turned her around harshly, pinning her against the wall.

"What'd I say, little girl?" His wide eyes, reddened from the irritation, were watching her wildly. "What'd I tell you?"

She turned her head away from his vision, suddenly feeling sick, and quietly plead, "Please. Let me go."

"I don't think so."

"Help me! Hel-"

His face scrunched in anger as his open palm shredded the air, landing with a sharp smack on her cheek, the force of the hit knocked her to the ground. She scrambled up onto her hands and knees and began to crawl away. The unforgiving scrape of the concrete sidewalk scraped her knees with each movement.

* * *

A tall, thin man stood on the corner, fire in his eyes from the scene before him. He strode forward, the vein in his neck popping with each step. He was careful to not startle the girl on the ground as he moved past her and pulled the man to him by his collar. He knew who he was, he'd stopped him from pickpocketing many people in the past.

"I didn't mean to hurt her," he lied. "I was just tryin' to get some cash."

"I saw everything, man," his gravelly voice droned. "If I see you around here again you'll be sorry." He shoved the thief away and watched as he ran from the corner, never looking back. After making sure he was out of sight, he slowly turned to the girl and gave her a small, closed lipped grin.

"You alright, miss?"

"Yeah," she nodded as she clutched her wrist. "I'm okay."

"You'll need to get some ice on that," he instructed calmly. He bent down behind her and raised her to her feet gently, keeping his hand on her back to steady her. "You wanna go get checked out at the hospital?"

"No, I'd rather just go home and get some rest."

He watched her for a moment, "Alright then."

"Thanks for helping. God knows what would've happened if you didn't," she mumbled.

He gave her a sharp nod and reach into his jacket, pulling a card from an inside pocket. "You ever have any more trouble outta that guy, or anybody, you give me a call."

He watched her eyes move over the words slowly, before she turned her head back up to him. "Thank you, Mr. Voight."

* * *

**A/N: Hello guys! Thanks for reading the prologue to my first Chicago PD story! I'm so excited to get started on this, and I hope you're just as excited to read it. This is going to be an OC-centric story, but it will contain some of the major/minor characters of the show. (Mostly Justin and Hank.) Please leave some feedback, because I honestly have no clue where this will go, I'm just rolling with it. This is going to be a Justin/OC story.  
**


	2. Beautiful Day

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor do I claim to, own anything (or one) from Chicago PD. All who you might recognize are likely from the show, I only own my original characters.**

* * *

Lauren gripped the handrail nailed to the wall and pulled herself to the top of the stairs with a huff. Her knees were raw from crawling on the grainy sidewalk, and in turn her journey up the steps had been more of a pain that she would have imagined. She pushed back a lock of red hair and entered her apartment with a sigh.

She took pride in the decor of her apartment; it may not have been high end furniture, but she had a part in the DIY projects she found online and made each piece in her apartment her own. She lay her key in the bowl that sat on an end table by the door and hopped to the sofa.

Pulling down her bloodstained tights she surveyed the damage. Her left knee was a little worse for wear than the right, but still not as bad as it could have been if not for Mr. Voight. Her eyebrows raised as she remembered the small card in her pocket he bestowed her with. She pulled it out and gave it a glance before sitting it on armrest.

_Sergeant Henry Voight  
Chicago Police Department - District 21  
4596 Chicago, Illinois 60629 _

She shook her head at her luck and softly said, "Thank you, Sergeant Voight."

_'You'll need to get some ice on that,' _his gruff voice flooded her memory.

"Right."

She placed a handful of ice in a plastic baggy and wrapped it in a dish towel, holding it gingerly against one knee at a time, then resting it on her cheek in five minute intervals. Slowly the pain deteriorated and was replaced by a prickling numbness. She shivered and pulled the afghan her mother had crocheted from the back of the couch and wrapped it around her legs.

Nights like this were the hardest, when she desperately needed a mother's love or father's compassion. Her sister's attempts to be both mother and father weighed her down, morphed her into an adult faster than need be. After a short, horrible marriage, Lauren decided it was time for her to leave- make her own path.

Ella still called every night to check up on her baby sister, bless her.

She sighed and reach for the remote, hoping to rest from those thoughts in particular and the day's events. She flipped through the channels, searching for something- anything- to watch, and finally settled on a nineties rerun of Wheel of Fortune.

Her eyes began to droop and only got heavier with time, as if a great weight had been placed on her lashes. She lay her head on a pillow and obliged as sleep took her away.

* * *

_Call from Mitchell, Ella._

The phone roused Lauren from her sleep. She rolled over halfway, stretching across the sofa to grasp her phone. She pressed it on, immediately greeted with her sister's honeyed voice.

"Laurie, you up?"

She yawned loudly and stretched before answering. "Yes. What time is it?" Instantly, she cringed at the lisp she was left with at the end of each 's'.

"Twelve. You better be glad it's Saturday, kid. You'd already be late for work."

Lauren smiled and nodded, "Thank God. I don't think I could handle all those people today."

"What's up with the lisp?" Ella asked quietly. "Did you pierce your tongue? Please tell me you didn't. Lauren, those are so nasty!"

She rolled her eyes, "No, Ella. I just.." she thought for a moment, "I bit my tongue yesterday."

"...you bit your tongue?"

"Yes."

Ella was quiet for a moment before she began to laugh, "You're such a dork."

She almost sighed with relief, but held it in and gave a small chuckle. "I know. But listen, I need to go bath and get ready or I'll never do anything today. So I'll call you later?"

"Of course."

"I love you," she said softly, "tell the kids I love 'em."

"Love you too, Laurie."

She snapped her phone shut and tried to bite back the guilt that quickly rose in her chest. She hated lying to her sister, but it was best for both of them. She groaned and leaned into the soft cushions of her couch, grinding the heels of her palms against her eyes.

_Time to look for a new job._

* * *

She nursed the steaming cup of coffee in her hands as her eyes scanned the newspaper in front of her.

_Looking for a responsible adult to sit with an elderly woman- must be willing to take care of personal needs. _

'No thank you,' Lauren thought before shuddering at the thought of an old, wrinkly woman sitting in a bathtub with a shower cap on.

As she read further down the paper, one listing caught her attention.

_Receptionist at District 21 in Chicago. Post high school education preferred. _

"Hm," she searched her wallet for the card to confirm the question in her mind.

_4596 Chicago, Illinois 60629 _

She hastily dialed the number from the ad, listening to five rings before a woman's voice answered.

"Chicago Police Department, Sergeant Platt speaking."

Her heart began to pound, "Hello, I was calling about the receptionist position. Is it still available?"

"Yes it is. You'll have to stop by and apply for it in person."

"Okay," she replied. "I'll be there shortly."

With that, the line died. Lauren furrowed her brow, mostly in confusion as she closed her phone slowly. She finished her meal and polished off the coffee she had left before leaving the small diner to hail a cab. The ride to the station wasn't very long, but to Lauren it felt like a lifetime.

She paid the driver and stepped out onto the sidewalk. A young woman, a police officer, stood on the front steps watching the traffic in front of the station. Lauren gave her a small smile before she began to talk. "Hi, who would I have to talk to for an application?"

"Oh, come on I'll take you." She offered, leading the way up a set of stairs and to a desk. An older woman with a straight ponytail watched with a smile.

"Detective Lindsay, beautiful day isn't it?"

"Yeah." She answered simply. "This lady is here for an application, I figured you could help her out."

"Of course," she turned to Lauren and the smile faded from her face almost instantly. "Come on."

* * *

When her sister called that night Lauren told her of the good news. Ella congratulated her, and began to gossip about her in-laws. Her husband, Joe, had invited them for a week for a vacation with their grandchildren.

"Speaking of in-laws, I saw William-" Lauren's groan cut her sentence in half.

"That psycho hasn't called me in a week, I figured something was up."

"He really is crazy. He wouldn't leave me alone until Joe came up and told him to leave."

"What did he want?"

Ella hesitated, then quietly said, "You."

"What do you mean me?"

"He said he was coming to Chicago when he rounded up enough money. Said he was going to pay you a visit."

Lauren's breathing hitched, "How'd he know I came to Chicago?"

"Laurie, listen to me," Ella's voice became authoritative, "you need to be careful. I know you can't watch your back all the time, but please for the love of God, just be safe."

"I will."

"The twins are crying, sweetie. I'm gonna have to go see what's wrong. I love you."

"You too."

* * *

Sleep eluded Lauren that night. Each time she closed her eyes she saw her ex-husband coming at her with a knife, ax, or gun, and each time in her dream she had died. She tossed and turned in her small bed, until finally she gave up on sleep and raided her fridge for ice cream.

After she finished the bowl, she covered herself in the afghan, watching the television until she fell asleep.

* * *

**A/N: I know there's a lot of Lauren and none of the cannon characters, but I promise they'll make their appearance in the next chapter- some of them anyway. Justin, however, will be in the next installment. Once again, thank you for giving this a read, I hope you enjoy it.  
Do you feel I'm dragging out the back story too much or is it good? Reviews are appreciated!**


	3. Rookie

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor do I claim to, own anything (or one) from Chicago PD. All who you might recognize are likely from the show, I only own my original characters.  
**

* * *

Lauren attempted to keep up with the woman's stride, hanging on to every word she said.

"Okay rookie, I'm going to show you the ropes once and _only_ once," Sergeant Platt explained. "Any calls for the detectives you come to me first, _never_ transfer one without telling me. Calls for regular officers you can go ahead and tell them, except for Burgess and Atwater, you let me know if someone calls for them." The woman stared into her eyes with purpose. "Understood?"

Lauren nodded and looked up at her from in front of the desk.

Platt took that as her cue to continue. "If someone comes in and asks to speak to any police officer, you come tell me no matter what. I don't care if it's the president of the United States out there, you still come tell me."

"Alright. Got it," she smiled. "Anything else?"

"Yeah, don't be so peppy. This isn't a high school, you're not a cheerleader- tone it down."

Her mood slightly faltered, but her smile kept it's place. "Y-yes ma'am."

"You're desk is at the bottom of the stairs, just at the entrance. I'm sure you seen it when you came in. You'll be there a majority of the time, if you're not there you'll be running errands for me."

"Running errands for you? I thought I was a receptionist."

The sergeant glowered at her and pointed down the stars, "Go on."

"Right."

She spun on her heel, taking in the room she was in. It was large, with stairs on either side of it leading to different departments. Many policemen passed her, some smiled and wished her a good morning, some acted as if she simply didn't exist.

She held onto the railing down the stairs, smiling as she met some of the officer's eyes. She made herself comfortable in her seat, looking over the things on her desk. A pen sat in the middle of the surface, along with a notebook for messages, she supposed. An old, corded phone sat ominously at the corner of the desk. She imagined it's ring to be obnoxiously loud.

She went through the motions as the day progressed. She'd only had to go to Sergeant Platt twice for emergencies, and that was because she didn't know the extensions. As she became more familiar with the process, she felt more confident in her endeavors.

Unconsciously, a gasp left her lips as a chill shot through the small area when the door opened, blowing the wintery air directly toward her. She made a mental not to bring an extra jacket from now on, and maybe a blanket.

A dark haired man began to climb the stairs, but quickly she remembered her duty. "Excuse me, sir!"

He stopped and turned to her, surprised to see her sitting there. "Yeah?"

"Can I help you?" He had a handsome face, one she'd never seen before. His blue eyes bore into her own as his generous eyebrows raised slightly, waiting for her to continue. "I can't just let you go up there. So I ask again, can I help you?"

"Uh yeah," his breathy voice replied, "can you tell me where I can find Hank Voight?"

She nodded and moved from behind the desk. "Come on, I'll take you up."

* * *

He followed the small girl up the stairs, watching as her long red hair swayed with each movement she made. She was a curious little thing, he noted. He'd never known of the station to have a receptionist.

"Sergeant Platt," she greeted politely. "He wants to see Detective Voight."

The old woman rolled her eyes dramatically and glanced over to Justin. She stomped from her position and crashed up the stairs, her ponytail swishing with every footfall, bellowing his father's name in an annoyed manner.

Justin took the opportunity to glance at the girl beside him, who stood patiently waiting with him. Her arms were crossed loosely across her chest and she bounced slightly on the balls of her feet. He stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jacket, uncomfortable with the silence they stood in. A few moments later Platt and Voight came down the stairs, both with stoney expressions.

"Justin." Voight called from the stairs, urging him forward.

He gave one last glance to the girl and followed his father up the stairs. They made small talk on the way to his office, mostly consisting of the basic 'how are yous'.

"When did they hire her?" Justin asked.

Voight watched his son from the corner of his eyes. "Don't know, I didn't see her when I came in." He sat down at his desk, his hands resting on his thighs as he waiting for his son to talk. "So, what are you doin' here?"

"I just got back from the army, Pop." He ran his hand through his crew cut hair. "I wanted to see you."

"I heard some good things about you while you were gone," Voight assured. "I'm proud of you, son. You did good."

"Thanks Pop." He hesitated a moment and smiled. "You still got a place for me at home?"

"You know I do. You go ahead and get moved in, I'll be home after work."

Justin stood to his feet, wrapping his arms around the man beside him. "Thank you."

"For what?"

He smiled gratefully at the him. "For making me a better man."

* * *

Lauren sat at the bottom of the stairs, doodling on a sheet of paper as she waited for another call. An owl perched on a tree limb was shaded expertly, seemingly basked in moonlight. She continued to add detail to it, lost in her own mind when a voice interrupted her.

"That's real good."

Her eyes widened and she bared down on the pencil, snapping the lead instantly. She looked to him with a small smile, "You scared me."

"Sorry," he said simply. "I never got your name earlier."

"Oh, I'm Lauren Evans," she extended her hand as an act of professionalism. She smiled as he gripped her hand in a firm but gentle manner. The callouses on his palms signaled that he'd used his hands for labor in the past, but the softness of his grip confused her.

"Justin Voight."

"Nice to meet you." He let go of her hand and backed away slowly with a grin, "See ya, Lauren."

She felt her face heat up, as his eyes never left hers. Not until he was out the door. "See ya."

* * *

**A/N: And there's the first meeting! I hope it's up to your standards. I didn't want to have them fall in love at first sight, I like for them to work at it, but I do imagine Justin to be very flirty. Shout out to busybeekisses19 for your reviews- thank you so much! I'm seriously getting in the zone with this story, I can't stop working with it, hope you guys don't mind multiple updates a day. C'mon guys, reviews make the world go 'round!**


	4. Good Friends

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor do I claim to, own anything (or one) from Chicago PD. All who you might recognize are likely from the show, I only own my original characters.**

* * *

Lauren plucked her purse from the ground beside her chair and sighed happily- her first day of work had been a success. The only time Platt scolded her was for her peppiness which, in fact, she had toned down. She stretched her arms above her head to relieve her stiff back. When she heard the satisfying crack of her bones she smiled, time to go home and call Ella.

She pushed through one of the doors and felt the breath leave her as a fresh, chilly wind blew past her. Her hair flew wildly around her shoulders, some strands whipping into her face.

"Looks like your cheek healed up good," Voight commented. He leaned against his vehicle, one foot propped against the tire, his arms crossed across his chest.

"It did," she said reaching up to touch her face, "thank you."

He locked his jaw tightly still looking her over, "You liking your job?"

She nodded with a small grin, "It's nice. That Sergeant Platt's a real sweetheart."

The side of his mouth twitched up in a smirk before he responded. "Yeah. Listen, if you're gonna work here," he pointed to the station, "with us you should know your life will get-" he searched his brain for the right answer, "complicated. And fast."

"I just answer the phone, sir."

He nodded and stepped forward, "You got a ride?"

She began quietly, "I was actually just going to get a cab-"

"Get in." He jabbed his thumb in the direction of the passenger side.

She opened her mouth to say something, but only a squeak passed her lips. She bowed her head and obliged, sliding into the seat without a question. She pulled the seat belt around her slowly, listening as the latch made a loud clink. She began to give him the directions to her apartment, but realized he'd already been there once.

_He did save me._

"You have any more trouble outta anybody?" He questioned.

She shook her head lightly, picking at her cuticles. "No, sir. Only that one time."

"Voight. Or Hank," he told her sternly. "No more of that sir stuff."

"Sorry, Hank." The sound of his name felt foreign on her tongue, but she accepted it. "And thanks again," she mumbled. "For saving me. And giving me a ride home."

"No problem."

The rest of the ride was silent, but not an awkward one like she'd shared with his son earlier. This one held contentment and peace. When he pulled onto the curb she unbuckled herself and thanked him again.

"I know you met Justin today," he stated. "I'm think you'll understand when I say that he's off limits."

Her eyebrows knit together as she stared at him in confusion, "What are you talking about?"

"Nothing happens between the two of you." He nodded his head at her, "I can tell you're a good girl. But I can't have him going around with his head up his ass. Not right now."

"Goodbye, Mr. Voight," she said quickly. She scurried across the road holding her scarf over her mouth and nose.

_How dare he?_

* * *

"He actually said that?" Ella asked, her voice cracking at the end.

"Yes! As if I'm some kind of ex-con." She shook her head, burying her face into her pillow. "Drama on the first day of the job."

Ella sighed, "I'm sorry, honey. I know you truly like this job, too."

Lauren coughed, promptly changing the subject. "You heard anymore from William?"

"No, but Joe said he saw him with some girl down at Chester's last night."

Lauren laughed, "What was Joe doing at a bar?"

"Quote, 'winding down' unquote. Those third graders he teaches must be some real ball-busters."

Lauren cackled loudly, holding her hand against her stomach. "Maybe they are, El. Never know about 'em."

They sat in silence, both thinking the same question.

"Do you think maybe if he moves on he'll leave you alone?" Ella asked quietly.

"I hope so. But I wouldn't wish him on my worst enemy."

Rapid knocks on Lauren's door ended their conversation- she quickly bid her sister goodbye and went to the door. Raising onto her tiptoes she looked through the small hole in the door. A tall, chubby man stood with his back to the door, the back of his head was coated in dark brown hair, hanging past his shoulders limply.

She cracked the door open, the chain above her head stretched to it's limit. "Can I help you?"

The man turned around and Lauren had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing. He wore an Invader Zim shirt underneath a bright yellow jacket paired with too small green pants and no shoes. He smiled a yellowed smile at her. "Uh, yea can I borrow some sugar?"

"Yeah, hang on a second." She measured out a cup of sugar and put it in a sandwich bag. She opened the door, still secured by the lock at the top of her door, and stuck her hand through the small opening. "There ya go."

She cringed when his tongue dipped from his mouth, glossing his bottom lip in a coat of saliva. "Thanks Lauren."

A twinge of fear crawled up her spine when she heard her name pass his lips. "How do you know my name?"

"I have my ways."

Her eyes narrowed at him, "How?"

"I know Will." He smirked, "Good friends."

She slammed the door and quickly ran to the kitchen to grab a chair and jammed it underneath the doorknob. She searched her wallet for Voight's card, realizing the severity of her shaking hands. She dialed his number quickly, her eyes never leaving the door.

"Voight."

"Hank, this is Lauren." She said quickly, "there's a man here, he knows my name and he knows my ex-husband."

Voight paused, listening to her, "Is that a bad thing?"

She leaned against the wall slowly, sliding down it until she hit the floor and drew her knees to her chest. Sobs tore from her chest and burned her throat as she cried openly to a practical stranger.

"My ex-husband wants me dead."

* * *

**A/N: Uh-oh, what's going to happen to Lauren? Shout out to my reviewers- busybeekisses19 and tld9969, you guys are awesome! Thank you so much. Also, to my subscribers and favoriters, much love! **

**See that big, white box down there? You should write something in it. Go ahead, you know you want to. :)  
**


	5. Broken Vows

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor do I claim to, own anything (or one) from Chicago PD. All who you might recognize are likely from the show, I only own my original characters.  
**

* * *

Lauren held her head in her hands, soothingly rubbing her temples as she awaited Voight's response. "What apartment you in?"

"34B." She frowned, her mind flashed images of the man's awful smile.

"Go over to the peephole in the door and see if he's still out there," he instructed.

Shakily she raised herself from the ground and padded softly to the door, careful to quiet her movements as much as possible. She pressed her eye against the door, closing the left one for a better view.

The man leaned against the wall casually, one hand in his pocket, the other resting on an old cell phone. She watched as his face twisted into a wicked grin, his eyes darted toward her- almost as if he could see her.

She gasped and briskly backed away from the door. Her grip on the phone in her hand tightened painfully, "He's here."

"Whatever you do _do not _open the door, not until I'm there. You got it?"

"Yeah," she agreed, "I got it."

Paranoid that the man outside could hear her, Lauren climbed into the coat closet on the far side of the room when her call to Voight ended. As she closed the door she was greeted by immediate darkness, adding to her nerves. As it always did in times of trouble, her left hand reach up to grab the cross on her necklace in a tight grip.

Her cell phone vibrated harshly against the hardwood floor, breaking her from her concentration. The bright light from the screen burned her eyes as she read the name scrawled across the screen.

_Cooper_,_ William._

Her wide eyes filled rapidly with tears as she came to terms with the situation, not for the first time. This was quickly becoming her life, her running, him searching and ultimately finding her. A twinge of anger flitted deep in her chest and she felt a strange sense of courage take over her.

She brought the phone to her ear and was promptly greeted with his throaty laughter. "Little Laura, you know you can't run from me.

She rubbed her hands over her arms quickly, ridding them of the goosebumps that rose with his voice. "What do you want, Will?"

"I heard you met Paulie." He snickered. "He seemed to like you."

"Why are you doing this?"

She heard glass shatter in the background of their home- his home. "You can't just leave a guy like me, Laura. It doesn't happen."

"My life was miserable, Will. You made sure of it, didn't you?" She sniffed back a sob, "Do you really expect me to want to live like that?"

"You made a vow." He voice was heated, "You made a vow to ME and you broke it."

"And you didn't?" She retorted. "In sickness and in health? Tell me Will, how did that work when I was sick?"

"You weren't sick," he ground out. "It was your fault."

_Your fault._

She heard heavy footsteps from outside her apartment and snapped the phone shut. She rubbed her eyes, ridding them of the wetness trailing all down her neck, and stood to check the hallway again. 'Paulie' had disappeared, but Voight stood in his place, his hand formed into a fist, ready to knock.

Quickly, she pulled the door open, greeting him before he made the noise. "Come in."

He stared at her, but nodded, his legs taking long strides until he got to the sofa. "Can you remember what the man looked like?" He began, watching as she paced the room quietly.

She nodded, running her hands through the top of her hair. "Yeah. He was tall, probably six feet? 6'1", maybe. And he was large," she made a circle around her stomach, "Close to three hundred pounds, I'm sure. And he had long brown hair."

Voight questioned her further, "He wearing bright clothes?"

"You seen him."

"It sounds like the guy I seen," he told her. "He was walking to the elevator when I got here."

* * *

**Atlanta, Georgia.**

William Cooper smiled as he listed, "We've got the location."

"Good," he nodded. "Very good. Now we don't want to scare her off too fast, so we wait. We'll wait until the time is right, then we've got her."

Paulie hiccuped into the receiver, "That'll be easy, boss. She's so little and fragile. We'll break her."

"We'll break her."

* * *

Lauren's eyes searched Voight's. "You think he lives here? Paulie, I mean."

"It's hard to say," he replied with a shrug. "He could. Or he could live someplace close by, you never know."

"Well, what am I supposed to do if he comes back?"

"You do exactly what you did today."

She shook her head lightly, "I can't depend on you to run here every time something happens, Hank. You and I both know that isn't realistic."

"You got a better idea?"

"I'll have to move again," she sighed, her mouth pulled down into an exaggerated frown. "He always finds me. He _will_ always find me."

Voight's eyes narrowed, "This happen before?"

"Twice," she admitted and began to shake, "I moved to to Tennessee first, and he came personally to find me, and took me back to Georgia. Then I went to Indiana and one of his goons saw me. He called me, told me he was going to make me sorry for running out on him again." She sighed and looked at him, "Now I'm here."

"He's not going to force you to run again," Voight promised. "We'll take care of you."

She cried softly, "How?"

"We'll get you outta this apartment," he offered, "get you somewhere closer to us."

"Us?"

He bobbed his head so slightly, if she hadn't been staring she would have missed it. "The station."

"Of course," she agreed. "I'll start looking when the new paper comes out."

"I've got somewhere you can stay until you find a place," he offered. "A spare room at the house."

"Seriously?" She questioned in bewilderment. "Are you sure?"

"We don't want to see you getting hurt."

Her chewed the inside of her cheek, touched by his offer. "My sister can't know," she said quietly. "As soon as she finds out she'll leave Georgia to come get me." He agreed and helped her pack the necessities she needed for a few weeks stay. With only two bags of clothing, she locked her apartment up and followed him to his vehicle.

_Chicago is really growing on me._

* * *

**A/N: This story is going to start heating up from here, guys! Show of hands, who's excited to see what's in store for Justin and Lauren? How is he going to react to having her live with them? Will Voight warm up to the idea of his son being with a hunted woman? Leave your ideas and comments in the box below! **


	6. Shower Raid

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor do I claim to, own anything (or one) from Chicago PD. All who you might recognize are likely from the show, I only own my original characters.**

* * *

Lauren walked past Voight, who held the door for her, and into the comfortably sized home with a gratified smile. It was beautifully decorated, she noted, the most prominent color was a deep, chocolate brown. Tan curtains draped over each window gracefully, lightly touching the soft carpeted floor.

"Your house is beautiful," she complimented.

He gave her an appreciative nod, watching her move around the room. "My wife loved to decorate." Lauren's eyebrows shot up the word 'loved', but calmly refrained from questioning him about it and simply continued to take in her surroundings. He placed his hand on her back to guide her, "C'mon, I'll show you the room."

He led her down the hallway, his boots softy thudding against the floor, to the third door on the right. She was surprised, when he opened the door, to find a very feminine room- one that looked to belong to a teenage girl. The walls were lilac colored, set off by the plum comforter on the white wooden bed, an empty cork board hung just over the headboard.

"It's lovely," she told him as she fully entered the room. "Do you have a daughter?"

"Yeah," was his simply reply. She watched as he ran his hand lightly over the wall before he glanced to her. "Make yourself comfortable, and don't hesitate about going into the kitchen to eat." His head bobbed slightly at the end of his sentence, and his eyes were stern, "I know how you girls are."

She grinned, "Okay." He turned to leave but she quickly spoke up, halting him. "Hank?"

"Yeah?"

She hesitated for a moment, "Thank you, truly. How can I ever repay you?"

He shook his head and replied, "Bathroom's straight across the hall, use it when you need it."

After she unpacked her belongings, she indulged in a sandwich she made quickly. Her curiosity got the best of her, and she decided to wander around the house, taking in the beautiful paintings that adorned each wall. The letters 'EML' were scrawled in the corner of some, piping some questions in Lauren's mind.

When she finished her own personal tour of the house, she decided she'd take a quick shower and a nap before she called her sister. She gathered her clothes and headed off to the bathroom.

* * *

Justin pulled the car into the garage and silently entered his childhood home, greeted by the scent of lavender wafting in the air. Hurriedly, he marched down the hall- stopping when he heard the sound of someone shuffling around in the bathroom. The sound of water falling was unmistakably the shower, he swallowed and pondered the only question in his mind-

_What kind of thief takes a shower in the middle of a raid?_

He shrugged out of his jacket and rolled up the sleeves of his shirt, ready to take on anyone behind the door. Quickly, he kicked the door open, his fists raised to block his face, a handy trick he had learned during his time in the military. His eyes scanned the room, and was pleasantly surprised to see a girl's head peeking out from behind the shower curtain, hastily searching for her towel.

"What the hell?!" Lauren thundered as water dripped from her nose onto the floor. She kept the shower curtain pulled around her as she reach for a towel. She pat her face dry, and quickly stepped further into the shower when she opened them.

Justin dropped his hands to his sides and shot her a lazy grin. "Sorry 'bout that," he nodded to the door, "thought you were a robber."

Her face and neck were flushed scarlet, her hands gripped the fabric around her tightly. "Well, now that you've established that I'm not, do you mind," one of her brows arched high above her green eyes as she waited for him to move.

He raised his hands in defense, backing out into the hallway with a smirk. "Sorry."

* * *

Lauren was frozen after Justin left the room; she simply stood under the running water until the temperature began to drop. Finally, when she built the courage she needed to move, she stepped out of the tub and onto the floor. She quickly dried herself and dressed in her pajamas.

She pulled a black t-shirt over her head, unmatched to the blue plaid bottoms she had on, and towel dried her hair. Combing through the tangles, she stared at herself in the mirror, "Why me?" she whispered with a slight smile, embarrassed at the fact that the handsome stranger practically saw her naked.

She brushed her teeth and, with a deep breath, ventured out into the hallway. She moved into the room she'd been assigned to and turned her phone on.

_6 missed calls._

She scrolled through the numbers, satisfied to see that most of them had came from Ella- most of them. She frowned as she deleted the unwanted number, and called her sister.

Ella's breathless answer made Lauren grin. "Hey Laurie, what's goin' on? I called you, like, a hundred times!"

"I'm sorry, I fell asleep after we got off the phone."

"Sleepy head," Ella teased. "That's where I'm headed, after I get these rascals to bed." Lauren laughed when heard the squealing laughter of her niece and nephew.

"Tell them I love them," she said quietly. "El, I think I might go to bed, I have an early morning tomorrow."

"Alright, honey. I'll talk to ya tomorrow, okay?"

She fell back onto the bed and stretched her limbs with a sigh-finally the nightmare of a day was coming to and end. A grin crossed her lips, in spite of her warning from Voight, as she remembered Justin's eyes roaming over her. She burrowed underneath the thick comforter, wrapping it around her snugly.

_I don't think I'll be having any nightmares tonight._

* * *

**How would you like for Justin to barge through your door in the middle of a shower? I don't think Lauren seemed to mind very much. I'd like to know how you guys feel about this chapter! I thought a little humor would go a long way with those two, seeing as most of this story so far has revolved around drama. Feel free to leave a little love down in the big, white box below!**


	7. Good Man

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor do I claim to, own anything (or one) from Chicago PD. All who you might recognize are likely from the show, I only own my original characters.  
**

* * *

The morning sun filtered through the window, landing on Justin's tanned face, gradually rousing him from his slumber. His eyelids began to flutter and he opened his dry mouth to yawn. He stretched against his bed, instantly inhaling the smell of scrambled eggs and sausage. He rubbed his hands over his face as if to wipe the sleep away, and sat up scratching at his stomach.

He listened to muffled voices outside the door, and remembered the girl he found in his shower the night before.

_Not too bad of a sight._

His ears perked up at his father's deep voice, which seemed to travel further with each syllable he spoke. He listened closely as a woman's husky, sleep filled response shot back, earning a hidden grin from the boy in his room. He raised from the bed, throwing his blanket into the corner of his room.

He gave one more large stretch, just for the added comfort, and began opened his door. The smell of the awaiting breakfast became more pungent, causing his mouth to water in anticipation. He ambled leisurely toward the kitchen, his arms crossed loosely against his chest.

He heard Lauren yawn dramatically and smiled, she didn't seem to be a morning person. When he caught sight of her, he leaned against the bar, a small smile on his face, and watched her work.

When she leaned across the stove to grab the pepper he jumped at the chance to stare at her ample behind. He grinned in appreciation as the tight pajama pants she wore held no stretch as she pushed further, wiggling her fingers to extend a bit further.

"Smells good," he complimented, biting back a laugh as she jerked her hand away from the stove, turning to him with a glare. It was then he took note of the black rimmed glasses that adorned her flustered face. She had her hand on her heaving chest, her feet planted wide to keep her balance.

"D'you really have to do that?" She asked lowly, pointing the spatula at him. "Start stomping when you get close, you're like a freakin' ghost."

He shrugged his shoulders simply, "I'm light on my feet."

"Yeah, I've noticed," she growled, turning back to the task at hand.

"It really does smell good, though," he told her again. "Hope you made enough for me."

She nodded and turned slightly to glance at him, "I told your dad to eat, but he said he had something to take care of."

"Yeah, he does that a lot," Justin exhaled loudly, causing a contagious yawn to overtake Lauren. "You'd better get used to it now."

He pulled the lusciously padded stool and sat down, eager for the company of the cooking redhead. He watched her take a generous drink of steaming coffee, still watching the food. "So, you're staying with us now?"

"Yeah," she scooped the eggs onto a plate and flipped the sizzling sausage. "I hope I'm not imposing."

Justin huffed and drawled his words out longer than usual. "If you cook like this every morning you can stay here forever."

"I'll remember that," she chuckled and moved toward the toaster when she heard the bread pop out. She put together a plate for him and sat it in front of him softly. "Eat up."

"Thank you," he grinned. He watched as she placed her plate onto the bar beside his and climbed onto the extra stool. He stabbed some of the fluffy eggs with his fork and sighed as he took a large bite. She had added some cheese into her recipe.

"So," he began between mouthfuls, "why'd you move in?"

Her eyes found interest in the napkin she held, and she began to twirl it around her fingers. "Well, I have some trouble with my ex-husband."

"You're married?"

She snorted angrily, "No. My ex-husband. _Ex_," she stressed. "I was married." He poured two glasses of juice as he continued to listen. "I've moved twice, three counting this time, and he keeps finding me."

"Well don't worry about that," he smiled reassuringly, "Dad has a record of protecting those who let him."

She nodded, "He's a good man."

Justin stared at her, somehow feeling drawn to the simple way she spoke to him. He'd missed having a normal conversation with someone- talking of life, not drugs, jail or the army. Unconsciously, he moved closer to her, feeling comfort in her presence.

"Yeah, he is."

* * *

Hank Voight sat in his vehicle, listening intently as the two continued their conversation. He sighed and shook his head angrily.

_I told her Justin's off limits._

* * *

**Finally some Justin/Lauren time! I'd like to thank my most consistent reviewer, busybeekisses19- you are amazing! And a huge thanks for everyone who's viewing this! It honestly makes my day.  
Now, onto the story! Do you think Hank will change his opinion regarding the two? How'd you feel about him eavesdropping? Leave it below!  
**


	8. Burned

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor do I claim to, own anything (or one) from Chicago PD. All who you might recognize are likely from the show, I only own my original characters.**

* * *

Lauren sat behind her desk, her legs crossed at the ankles, working onto the sketchbook placed before her. She decided after her first day on the job that she needed something to occupy the time she had no one to escort up the stairs, which was more often that not. She expertly smudged the tip of a napkin over particular parts of the picture, careful to not stain her hand with lead, effectively shading the desired pieces.

With a pen she began to outline the picture- thinning some lines out, making some thicker, tilting her head as she moved the sheet of paper closer to her.

A stubborn piece of hair that seemed to be magnetized to her forehead fell into her eyes. She huffed, agitated with the lock, before she raised her eyes to meet it. She puffed a mouthful of air behind it, blowing it harshly away from her face. What was behind the curtain of red is what she wasn't prepared for.

Hank Voight stood with his hands clasped at his stomach, his head tilted back a tad, staring directly into her soul. His head bobbed a few times before he ambled forward slowly, his eyes never leaving hers. Lauren felt herself shrink under his accusing gaze, and quickly moved her arms over the drawing she had perfected.

"No reason to cover it," he said finally. "I already seen it. I won't say anything to ya for drawing."

Her shoulders sagged with the heavy breath she released and nodded, slowly sitting straight again. She observed him moving forward, and reaching out to take the paper in his hand, studying every structure of it. After she was sure his dark eyes had covered every line she extended her hand expectantly, silently asking for it back.

"I hope you remember our conversation," he told her with a curt nod, still clutching the drawing. "Nothing happens."

She agreed hesitantly, her hand still out. "Of course."

Voight lay the paper down on the edge of her desk and turned to walk away. Just as his foot came in contact with the bottom step, he turned to her. "You're talented, kid."

She watched his back fade from sight, his bounding steps giving him an sense of arrogance, and mulled over his words. She bit her lip and gave a slight nod before whispering to the wind, "Thank you."

* * *

Paulie scanned his surroundings quickly before he attempted to jog across the street. The tools in the small front pocket of his jacket clanked with his every heavy step. Swinging the door open, he jumped through, looking over his shoulder once before climbing the stairs with a purpose.

His eyes searched for the apartment, his memory seemed to be getting worse by the day, his hand sliding against the wall beside him. He continued his journey until he got to a familiar paint chipped door frame.

_34B._

His lips pulled tightly over yellowed teeth in a ominous grin and he pulled the hair pin from his jacket. He simply straightened it and skillfully jammed it into the lock hole, turning it slowly to the right. He bit back a chuckle as he heard the gears inside the knob grinding against each other before the door opened with a squeal.

He stepped inside the apartment, his large feet thudding when they met the hardwood floor. "Gotcha."

* * *

Lauren followed the instructions on the back of the box, stirring the browned ground beef into the heavy tomato paste with care. She had always found that cooking eased her nerves, even when she was a teenager her sister couldn't persuade her to come out of the kitchen. She felt a smile on her lips as she began to slice peppers and onions in preparation for the sauce.

"You're gonna cause us to gain fifty pounds if you keep cookin' this way." Justin leaned into the archway of the kitchen, inhaling the aroma with a grin. "Not that I'm complaining."

Her eyes crinkled in appreciation, but she continued to stir the concoction that bubbled on the stove. "Hope you like spaghetti," she said simply.

"It's my favorite."

Lauren kept her head down, but her eyes refused to do the same; betraying her better judgment, she stole a glance to him and found him openly watching her, a slight frown overtook his entire face.

"Something wrong?"

He quickly regained the lazy smirk that seemed to be glued to his face and shook his head. "Nah, just thinkin'."

_About what? _

"Well," she said as she poured the long pasta stick into a large pot of boiling water, "looked like some pretty upsetting thoughts."

He plunged his hands into his pockets and strolled closer. "I'm a big guy."

"Yeah," she mumbled. Lauren's heart began to pound against her chest and she swallowed a harsh gulp of air. His feet shuffled behind her, his hands gently caressing the small of her back. She could feel the heat coming from his body in waves, effectively clouding her mind.

Her hands slightly shook as she fought the urge to lean against his frame that was so close to her she could essentially feel it.

"Justin," she said quietly, cemented to her place on the floor. She felt his tantalizing hand run smoothly over her shirt, resting just at the base of her neck.

His response was just as small as he tangled his fingers into her long ponytail. "Hm?"

She inhaled sharply, her hand slipping off of the plastic spoon and onto the scorching stove top. A blinding pain seared through Lauren's body, her hand felt as if a thousand needles were drive through it. Quickly, she cried out and pulled her hand from the offending object and clutched it to her chest desperately.

"Are you alright?" Justin asked quickly. "I'm so sorry."

Her hand shook when she tried to observe the damage to it, so Justin took it upon himself and held her wrist tightly with his fingers. The skin on it pulled was pulled taut- angry and red.

"It'll blister," he said lightly. "Let's run some water over it."

She followed him to the sink, his hand still grasped her wrist, watching as he painfully doused her hand in cool water. She felt the skin cooling with the simply contact, and relief washed over her. She glanced to Justin, surprised to see his eyes so focused- determined almost- it warmed her heart.

"The food," she remembered. "Can you turn the stove off? Get the bread out of the oven for me?"

He nodded, watching her with an intense stare. "You alright?"

"I'm fine," she responded grinning to ease his suspicions, "I'm a big girl."

* * *

**These characters are coming along so easily for me, you guys! So far, this is my longest story yet- which excites me beyond words! Seriously, lol. But I honestly want to thank you, every one, for giving this story a chance, it means the world to me. I feel inspiration in the reviews I get, so please if you will, leave some! **


	9. Revelations

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor do I claim to, own anything (or one) from Chicago PD. All who you might recognize are likely from the show, I only own my original characters.**

* * *

The couple sat comfortably at the table, as comfortably as Lauren could with a gauze covered hand, the metal of their forks clinking against the plates. With each twirling of silverware Lauren felt the amounting pressure of telling Justin of her deal with his father, but ultimately refused- not ready to sever the pleasant company they shared. She crunched into a piece of garlic bread, chewing as quietly as possible, and glanced to Justin.

The spaghetti had been burned slightly on the bottom, but Justin assured her as much as possible that it was still the best meal he'd had in years. With the way he'd been piling food into his mouth she began to believe it. His head was hung low as he piled mountains of spaghetti in his awaiting mouth. She swallowed down a laugh and shook her head, reaching for the glass of red wine Justin insisted on pouring.

_Justin dodged around the end tables with ease, holding a glass between his long fingers. Lauren raised an eyebrow at him, watching with every step he took. "After I bandage your hand we'll get some wine down you."_

_She shook her head quickly, holding her hands out in response. "I don't drink."_

_"It'll help with the pain," he reasoned. "Trust me."  
_

_"Justin-"_

_"I promise," he nodded. "One glass, that's all. I won't bug you anymore, if you just drink a glass. That's all you gotta do."_

_She sat on the sofa, arguing with him from a room away. Letting her head fall back onto the the couch she agreed with a sigh, "Fine."_

_"That's more like it," she heard him mumble from the wine cooler._

Lauren a rolled her eyes and downed a generous sip. She'd never admit it to him, or anyone else for that matter, but the wine actually did help with the pain. Justin said something about the inflammation as well, but she could care less about her hand swelling.

"Where'd you learn to cook?" Justin broke her thoughts with ease. "I know you didn't just pick this up."

She laughed lightly, sitting her fork down into the plate. "My Nana taught me."

"God bless your Nana," he smiled after chewing a mouthful of food.

"She was pretty great," Lauren agreed. "Taught me everything I know."

Justin slowed his eating and tossed her a sympathetic smile, "Sorry."

"It's fine," she assured. "Really. It was a long time ago."

"You were close with her?"

She nodded, "Very. She raised me and Ella," she said quietly. "My sister."

They sat in silence, both set of eyes locked in a steady gaze. Lauren began to pick up her fork again, but was promptly cut off by Justin's whisper. "We lost Mom," he admitted. "A couple years ago."

"I'm sorry, Justin."

_So that's why Hank's been so overbearing. He's afraid to lose his son.  
_

A swell of affection grew in her heart for the man after Justin made his confession. His compassion and love for Justin astounded her, for she seen him as the tough, rugged cop. She glanced back to Justin, her eyes softening as he wiped his mouth with the napkin roughly in an attempt to hide his emotions. She reach across the table, grasping his hand with her good one, effectively pulling him from his memory.

"Hey," she questioned. "You alright?"

He gave a curt nod and gruffly responded. "Yeah."

"I know how it feels to lose someone, Justin." She rubbed his hand tenderly, "If you ever need to talk," she offered, pointing to herself with a nod, "about anything."

He let out a shuddered breath, "Thank you."

"Now," she grinned faintly and slapped his hand jokingly, "eat up. I've got a banana split pie in the fridge."

A chuckle escaped him, "Yes ma'am."

* * *

Lauren spoke into the phone to her nephew softly. "Ryder," she greeted, "how are you, buddy?"

"I miss you, Aunt Rory. Katie misses you, too."

She smiled greatly, "I miss you guys, too. Have you been mindin' your Mama?"

"Yeah," he said quietly. "Daddy's been real mad. Sometimes I hear Mama cryin' in her bedroom."

"You do?" Lauren questioned to boy gently, "Do you ever hear what she says?"

She heard the cloth of his shirt rub against the receiver, "No. But I asked her one day. She just said she misses you."

"Oh," she drawled. "You ever hear her say anything about Daddy you tell me, alright bud?"

"'Kay, Rory."

"I love you, Ryder. Tell your Mama and Katie I love them, too."

* * *

Justin lay in his room, listening to the girl across the room's soft voice. She was definitely growing on him, that was obvious even to him, but the speed of how it happen frighted onto him. He hadn't felt this way about a girl ever, and now, in the matter of days, he felt his life turn completely upside down- or maybe it turned right side up.

He felt like a different person around her. Like he wanted to do good for her, to not disappoint her with his childish antics he'd grown so used to doing. He didn't feel the need to hang out with his old friends or acquaintances anymore, he only wanted her company. He sighed, rubbing his hands over his face lightly.

_It's just the wine talking._

He closed his eyes and burrowed his head into his favorite pillow, waiting for sleep to pass over him.

* * *

**Oh my gosh, almost ten chapters in less than a week! Lauren and Justin are really getting close, and quick! Hopefully Hank comes to his senses and allows them to be the happy little couple we want to see. What did you think of this chapter? Too much of a good thing or just enough fluff? **


	10. Daydreams

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor do I claim to, own anything (or one) from Chicago PD. All who you might recognize are likely from the show, I only own my original characters.**

* * *

Sergeant Platt stood before Lauren, her stubby fingers pointing in all directions as she continued to yell, glaring into the depths of her soul. Her ponytail was swishing with every word she spoke and her expression was one of complete and utter rage. Her wide eyes searched over Lauren's face, and when she realized the girl hadn't listened she sighed.

"Evans?"

Shaking herself out of her stupor, Lauren gave the woman a remorseful smiled. "Sorry, I kind of zoned out for a minute."

"I said how are you gonna get any work done with your hand mangled like that? And stop drawing those pictures, try to be a little more professional."

_I answer phones and escort people up the stairs, how professional can I be?_

Lauren shrugged lightly, her mind drifting back to the dream she experienced the night before- oh the sweet dream. Her ears perked up with her smile as the troubles of the day floated away.

She no longer remembered the angered pedestrian who clamored in earlier, her hair wet with puddle splash or the helpless old man who continuously complained about the loud neighbor kids who insisted on keeping the volume on their 'musical machines' louder than he liked.

The only thing she was thinking about was-

"EVANS," Platt roared. "Get a grip, or get lost. We can't have you daydreaming on the job."

"Yes ma'am," she answered quietly, her hands clasped behind her back. "I'll get back down to the desk, then."

Lauren sauntered down the flight of stairs, her cares as far gone as one could imagine. She sat down onto her chair with a bounce, scooting close to the surface. When she opened the top desk drawer to find her sketch book missing she frowned slightly.

She continued searching, heaving each drawer open. When she reached the last compartment she whispered, "Who would get my-"

"Book?" Voight finished, holding it by the spine. He emerged from the stairs, his jacket limply hanging around his forearm and shrugged. "I was curious about what you were drawing so I snagged it last night. Hope you don't mind."

A twinge of anger burned in her chest but she quickly doused it, remembering that he had given her a rent-free place to live, food and saved her from a thug in the days before. She simply bit her lip and began to take calming breaths, closing her eyes to imagine her dream.

_The moon's rays shone around them like a sea of sliver, creating a passionate atmosphere for the lovers basking in the night wind. The man lovingly wrapped his arms around his woman, holding her as tightly as possible, shielding her from the world's harsh ways._

_"Laurie," his voice was tender, "there's nothing in the world I want more than this."_

"Lauren?" She was shaken from her daze by Voight's gravelly interjection. She snapped her eyes to his hurriedly, her cheeks tinted a shade of red from letting her muse drift so far. "Sorry, I was," she paused to gather her thoughts, "somewhere else."

"I can tell," he responded, bobbing his knees a bit. He held his hand out, palm up and said, "Let me see your hand."

She slowly unwound the bandage covering the wound, letting the blistered skin breath for the first time since morning. The cooling breeze coming from underneath the door soothed it slightly. Voight walked closer, squinting his eyes as he examined the damage- she hissed when he poked lightly at one of the puffy patches of flesh with his finger.

"You need to get some more antiseptic on it when you get home." He locked his jaw and nodded, "dinner was good last night."

She quietly thanked him and carefully wrapped her hand once more. "Voight?"

"Yeah?"

She sat straighter in her seat as she puffed her chest out in valor, "Justin told me about your wife," she admitted cautiously, "I'm really sorry to hear about it. And I understand that you don't want me-"

"Drop it," he said sternly. "You know the rules, and I expect you to follow them as long as you're under my roof."

She nodded, "I know, and I will. But I think I can help Justin."

"Help him?" He said angrily, watching as she nodded slowly. "And what's he need help with, exactly?"

"When my parents died I was angry. Very angry."

Voight's eyes widened so faintly that if Lauren hadn't have been so close she too would have missed it. Lauren fidgeted under his intense stare and glanced up the stairs where a group of officers stood watching. She breathed in soothingly and continued."I blamed everyone for it, and I didn't move past it until I realized how wrong it was to pin an accident on the world- on God."

"He hasn't healed from it yet," she said softly. "And neither have you."

Voight said nothing, he simply sped up the stairs, taking them two at a time, and never looked back.

* * *

Erin watched the two interact and knew that something explosive was bound to take place. Hank wasn't one for people prying into his personal life, he liked to hold people at arms length- at least until they managed to wiggle their way under his skin, but Lauren seemed to open up her heart to everyone.

She knew the girl wasn't trouble, she had that whole innocent look about her, but something she couldn't put her finger on stood out from the others she'd met- from the others Voight took in. Something about her draws people in and holds them close, almost like a mother would.

_What she saw in Lauren Evans was what she wished to see in herself._

* * *

**How'd you guys like the little chat between Voight and Lauren? I even threw in a little Erin for a twist on things! I'm thinking about going deeper into the dream, but I'm not entirely sure right now, we'll just have to see how things play out. Do you think Erin will see Lauren as a threat? Taking away her father/brother figures? Or do you think she'll buddy up with her? How will Justin and Hank react to their relationship? Will Erin approve of Justin and Lauren? Leave your ideas below, lovies.**


	11. Taken Care Of

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor do I claim to, own anything (or one) from Chicago PD. All who you might recognize are likely from the show, I only own my original characters.**

* * *

Voight didn't offer Lauren a ride home that day, instead as she waited by her desk like she had every other day, he simply passed her by and pushed the doors open with a force she didn't see coming. As his rough hands made contact with the heavy wood a large crash sounded through the room, forcing Lauren to jump in surprise. Her went eyes wide and she couldn't do move, the only thing she managed was to stare behind him as his hulking form disappeared into his vehicle.

Her mouth was slightly unhinged and her hands gripped her purse tightly.

_I guess I can kiss my room goodbye._

"Hey," Erin announced her presence with by placing a hand on Lauren's back. "You need a ride?"

Lauren shook her head, a bit disturbed by Hank's behavior. "No, that's okay. I can take a cab."

"C'mon," Erin offered again with a small grin, "It's nothing, really. I was headed that way already."

"I was actually thinking about getting a hotel room," Lauren said meekly. "I think I've upset him pretty bad."

Erin nodded and threw an offer at her. "We'll give him some time to cool off. In the meantime, me and you'll go get something to eat. That sound good?"

Lauren nodded followed the detective to her car silently, a little dazed by the way things were shaping up. She'd never really had a conversation with Erin before, only collective nods in the hall. Suddenly a case of nerves washed over her and her stomach began to curl itself in knots.

"What was Voight so mad about anyway?" Erin questioned. "He hasn't been that angry in a while."

Lauren's eyes darted around the car. "I said something I shouldn't have, I guess."

"Well what'd you say?"

Hank and Erin were very similar, Lauren noted, their voices held the same tone. Whereas Hank's was deeper and more masculine, Erin's held a higher pitch- it reminded her of someone who had indulged in smoking during their younger years. She ran her fingers over the seat belt and tugged her lip between her teeth.

"Well, Justin and I were talking last night," she began with a peek to the older girl. "He told me about his Mom, and he was still really upset about it."

Erin's lips pursed as she gave a slight nod. Lauren watched her hands tighten around the wheel as she took a deep breath in and let it out through her nose. "Go on."

"The other night Voight told me to stay away from Justin. And I tried, I really did. But something about him just pulls me toward him, I can't fight it." She glanced to Erin, who only had eyes for the road. "I burned my hand and Justin took care of me, he even wrapped it and made me sit on the couch while finished making the food I started."

Erin's lip pulled upward, "Justin did that?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "And yesterday when Hank came down to my desk-" she trailed off quietly. "Well, you seen what happened. And I just told him that Justin hadn't healed, and that I didn't think he had, either."

"Oh," Erin mumbled. "You know, I understand where you're coming from, with the whole forbidden to be with someone thing."

Lauren turned her body toward her, "You do?"

"Yeah, Voight told me I couldn't see a fellow officer," she admitted. "Well, one in our district at least."

"He's got a knack for that, it seems." Lauren joked in hopes of brightening the mood between them. "It's a great thing he did, though, taking me in. I couldn't have asked for a better person to find me that day."

Erin let a genuine smile grace her features, and for the first time Lauren saw her true beauty. "Yeah, he makes sure you're taken care of."

* * *

Voight slammed through the front door, his face burning with anger. He didn't understand why women had to be so damned complicated- it seems like everything their told not to do is the very thing they want. He shrugged out of his jacket and hung it on the hook by the door, instantly heading to the fridge for a beer.

He cracked the top open, greedily drinking the pungent liquid, closing his eyes as he chugged it down. He felt Justin's presence in the kitchen with him, a small smirk on his face at his father's posture. He was hunched at the waist after he finished off the can as he tried to regain his breathing to a normal pace.

"What's so funny?"

Justin shook his head, "Nothin' Pop."

Hank watched his son patiently, waiting on whatever it was he wanted to say. He always got a certain look in his eye, a glint of something unknown, that unhinged him at the very sight of it. He put his hand on his hips and waited.

"I want to take Lauren out," Justin said calmly. "To a proper date."

Voight looked into his son's eyes and was careful to enunciate each letter, "Hell no."

"Pop, I'm a grown man, I think-"

He pointed a finger to his son, fire in his eyes. "One more word about it and she's outta here."

* * *

Erin watched across the table as Lauren sipped her coffee serenely, her hands wrapped comfortably around the steaming cup of java. She actually got along better than she thought she would with the stranger. She could understand what Justin saw in her, she as a compassionate soul, and by the sound of things Voight recognized it too.

_It was like having Marie here all over again, and if something happened he didn't want Justin to have the pain of losing her twice._

* * *

**A/N: Marie is Voight's wife's name (in my story at least) because Hank and Marie Voight? It just sounds cute to me. And thanks to busybeekisses19, Erin and Lauren are becoming fast friends (thanks for all the feedback)! Justin is becoming more of a gentleman instead of the flirty teen he was so used to being. And that wraps up chapter 11! What did you think of it?!  
**


	12. Waiting for You

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor do I claim to, own anything (or one) from Chicago PD. All who you might recognize are likely from the show, I only own my original characters.**

* * *

Lauren waited as Erin paid the bill at the small cafe, wringing her hands around each other at the thought of facing Hank at home. She knew he was angry, but was he the kind to harbor anger so intensely that when it finally explodes it's a flurry of emotions or did he simply let it go as the day passed on? Hopefully the latter, Lauren thought desperately hoping it was, and by the time they got to the Voight household she felt faint. She inhaled sharply and thanked Erin for the day out.

"You alright?" Erin asked kindly. "You look like you're about to croak."

Lauren shook her head lightly. "No, I'm fine- just a little nervous."

"Listen, I know Voight better than I know myself. He's a master of forgiveness, and especially since you didn't do anything wrong."

She nodded and smiled, "Thank you. See ya tomorrow?"

"Yeah." She shut the car door, and just like that Erin drove away. Lauren watched as the taillights glow brightly in the distance, and forced herself to walk to the door.

She placed her hand on the cold metal doorknob, and with a deep breath in, entered. Her eyes searched the perimeter quickly, silently wishing both men were already in bed, and stepped into the house. Every light was turned off save for the one on the end table nearest to her. She slipped out of her shoes, placing them on the old shoe rack that sat in the room.

Her footfalls were soft as she tiptoed down the hall and into the bedroom she'd been assigned. Justin's door was slightly open and she could hear his even breathing, signaling that he was asleep. A small smile graced her lips as she pushed his door open just a tad, peeking through to see him.

His arm covered the top part of his face, and from her place outside the door, she could see coarse body hair hiding behind the blanket he was covered in. His mouth hung open slightly, allowing the deep breaths he took to come and go with ease. She shook her head and began to move when a rough hand gripped her upper arm.

She bit back a scream when she looked up into Hank's emotionless eyes. "Let's take a walk."

He drove for miles, his grip on the wheel was never anything less than a clench, his bottom lip remained in his mouth throughout their journey.

Lauren cleared her throat and began to speak, "W-where are we going?"

"Just driving," he replied gruffly.

"Oh." She looked to her hands that were folded nicely in her lap. "Did I do something wrong?"

He said nothing, only kept his eyes on the road.

"Voight, listen- I didn't break your rule- we just talked." Her voice surprised her as much as it did him, it was the most sternly she'd ever spoke to anyone.

"It doesn't matter," he said back to her, "it can't happen. We gotta find you another place to go."

She shook her head in despair and choked back a sob. "So I'm leaving again?"

"Not the city, just the house," he assured her.

She sat quietly the rest of the drive, watching as his temper washed away. Her heart felt heavy as she reentered the Voight home, and packed her things. Hank told her they'd leave in the morning, but she didn't feel the need to wait, she'd make her own exit- save him the trouble.

Tears began to fall as she thought about the last couple of days she'd spent with the two. They were nice, too nice for their own good, probably. She could understand why he didn't was Justin to be with her, she was a hunted woman after all. She threw her bags onto her arms and walked to the door.

"Thank you," she whispered and shut the door behind her as quietly as possible.

* * *

The walk back to her apartment didn't take as long as she'd originally thought, her constant sobbing, however,did slow her walking down a bit. Her face and hands were chilled by the November wind and left her feeling numb, it was a welcomed change to the sadness that swam in the pit of her stomach from departing.

As she neared her apartment door she stretched her arm out to caress the letters that hang on the door.

_34B._

She opened the door and stepped in, turning to close it behind her. Multiple footsteps behind her forced her eyes to widen and her body acted on it's own accord. She turned quickly around, her hand gripping at her chest and that's when she saw him.

"William?"

He bobbled out of the shadows, an angry smile on his face. "We've been waiting for you."

* * *

**A/N: I know it's a short chapter, but oh the drama! Voight finally got fed up with the feelings surging around his house and kicked her! What a jerk. How will the boys help Lauren? How long had Will been in town? Who else was in the apartment with him? Tune in to find out.  
****Also, thanks for the reviews guys, every single one makes my day!**


	13. Sins of the Father

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor do I claim to, own anything (or one) from Chicago PD. All who you might recognize are likely from the show, I only own my original characters.**

* * *

"What are you doing here?"

William smiled and held his arms to the side, "I told you I'd find you, Laura. You're gonna have to learn to listen." He crinkled his nose in anger, "Nobody runs away from William Cooper."

A muffled scream was heard from the corner her apartment, and she instantly recognized the voice, but decided to play it cool. She straightened her back and stretched her neck a bit to seem in control, while inside she was terrified. "What was that?" She asked coolly.

Ella Mitchell was cast from the man's arms and onto the floor with a pitiful wail. Her face was bloodied and beaten beyond the point of recognition, her hair matted with dried blood and tears. Lauren's stomach dropped at the sight of her sister in such a state, and she fell to her knees beside her gently moving the hair from her face. Ella's eyes opened as much as they could to see Lauren crying over her.

"El, can you hear me?" Her voice wavered as she spoke intimately to her sister. "I'm so sorry."

"The twins."

Lauren's eyes darted around the room in panic, "Where are they?" She looked at William, who held no remorse for the girl on the floor's condition, his arms hanging loosely by his sides. His eyes were watching the wall, as they always did. "Where are they, Will?!"

"There's a condition for you knowing their whereabouts."

A painful groan tore through Ella's chest, and caused Lauren's heart to clench. "I'll do whatever it is, just give them to me."

"You'll have to come with me," William stated happily. "And never leave. If you do, I'll make sure these three are killed."

Lauren's hand went from her jacket pocket to her sisters hand secretly, placing a familiar card into the sleeve of her jacket gingerly. Still on her knees she stared at the person she most hated and nodded, "Fine. If that's what it takes I'll do it, but just know that Joe is going to hunt you down, Will. He'll hunt you to the end and kill you."

"Oh, I don't think he will."

Joe's head hung low, his shoulders hunched in shame as he walked forward. Lauren's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Joe," she whispered. "You did this?" She pointed to William and Paulie, "You helped them put your own family in danger?"

"I did what I had to," he stated. "I couldn't help it."

"Couldn't help it?!" She roared angrily. "You could've been a man and stood up for your family! Died for them!" She hands shook with rage, "Do you even know where your kids are now? If they're safe?"

"Come on, we're leaving," William grabbed her by the back of her neck. "Ella stays here. Say your goodbyes, Laura- you'll never see her again."

She clamored to her sister, bending down to her ear and whispering her plan to her. "Make sure you call him. Tell him everything." She was never one for theatrics Lauren decided that now was the time to try, "I love you, Ella!" She turned and began to pound on William's chest. "Please, please let me go, let me stay with her!"

"It's time to go."

* * *

Ryder and Katie Mitchell were scared of the dark, they always had been. But Ryder felt the responsibility to take care of his sister, even if she was older than him by two minutes. His chubby little fingers wrapped around her hand and squeezed tightly. Exactly the way his Mom used to make him feel better when he was scared.

"Shhh, Katie, it's will come get us."

The little girl's wails echoed in the small room and she lay her head on her brother's shoulder. "Are you sure, Ryder?"

"Yeah, she'd never leave us. She promised, remember?"

"Uh-huh," she sniffed. She wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled herself closer to him. "I'm sorry for taking your toy, Ryder. I didn't mean to break it."

He lay his head onto hers. "S'okay, I never liked it that much anyway."

* * *

Ella lay on the floor in complete and utter misery as she watched them throw her sister around like a rag doll. She closed her eyes tightly and began to pray, just like their mother hardwired them to do when they were children. She was careful not to crush the card Lauren had placed in her possession, and waited for the opportune time to call.

After they roughed her up a bit, William and Paulie took Lauren away. She heard them talk about going into the city, because no one would expect them to stay within Illinois after they kidnapped the woman.

She pushed herself from the ground with the little strength she had left, and grasped the phone that lay on the table. With nimble fingers she dialed the number, already sobbing into the phone.

A man's sleepy voice picked up the phone, "Voight."

"The took her," she cried lightly. "They took Lauren. She said to call you."

She heard cloth rubbing against the phone as he began to move. "Who's this?"

"Her sister. I'm at her apartment, I need a hospital."

* * *

He promised he'd be there as quickly as possible, and called his fellow detectives to inform them. He bypassed Justin's room and headed straight to the door, making sure to lock it before he left. His drive was one made of pure haste, but he was still careful, he knew to be after his years on the force.

When he arrived at the apartment, he burst through the door and quickly carried the woman down to his vehicle. Chicago Medical Center had seen many abused women, just as he had, but to know that Lauren was out there with the same men that done this weighed heavy on his mind.

_What have you done?_

* * *

**A/N: Voight's feeling the blame for Lauren's disappearance. How will Justin feel about this whole fiasco? Only time will tell! I just couldn't help myself with the sibling moment in the middle! Ryder's a sweetheart, don't you think? Leave me some reviews, my lovely readers!  
**


	14. Dose of Dissapointment

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor do I claim to, own anything (or one) from Chicago PD. All who you might recognize are likely from the show, I only own my original characters.**

* * *

Ella sat up in the hospital bed, quietly glancing toward the police officers in her room. The man, Voight, from last night seemed to be the leader of the troupe- he was surrounded by an air of superiority. Behind him stood five others, four men and a woman, each watching her from the floor with a slight pity on their face. She closed her eyes painfully as a twinge of fire shot from her elbow to her wrist.

"Your arm is broken," Voight broke the silence. "Best take it easy for a while."

Ella nodded slowly, still watching them. The dark haired man stepped forward. "I'm Detective Dawson," he introduced himself, "we're here today because we need some descriptions on the suspects, can you do that for us?"

"Yeah." Ella's voice was almost robotic. "Will is tall, about six foot two and around one hundred-eighty pounds, short brown hair- brown eyes."

The man nodded and wrote down the information. "Okay, and the others?"

"Joseph Mitchell," she swallowed hard to contain her emotions, "he's five feet ten, one hundred-forty pounds. Brown hair and eyes, he has a scar running through his eyebrow, his left one." She glanced to Voight who she found watching her intently. "Then there's Paulie, you know him."

"Yeah," he answered. "But we need you to tell us again."

"He's a little over six feet, probably and close to three hundred pounds. Shaggy brown mullet."

Voight looked to Detective Dawson and nodded, then turned to Ella. "Okay, now when they took Lauren did they say anything about where they were going?"

Ella nodded and licked her dry lips. "Yeah, said they were going to stay in the city for a while, since nobody would expect it." She blinked slowly and whispered, "You have to find them," she begged. "Please."

"Them?" asked Voight.

"They took my children- my twins."

"We'll find 'em," Dawson spoke up.

Single file the officers left the room, but still Voight lingered behind, one hand on his hip. "I'll make sure they get what they've got comin' to them, don't you worry about that. Just rest, you'll see your family soon."

"Thank you," Ella buried her face in her hands and began to cry.

* * *

"So we've got three grown men that we know of, that have the family captive somewhere in the city." Lindsay recited as she taped the three mens' pictures on the whiteboard.

"First there's William Cooper," she pointed to the first man. "Lauren's ex-husband; now from what we've gathered she left him, reasons unknown, and he's set out to take revenge on her- he's tracked her down twice, this makes the third. She claims he's threatened murder." She then moved down the line. "This is Joseph Mitchell, Ella Mitchell's husband and father of the children they have captive. He worked as a third grade teacher back in Georgia. And lastly, Paulie Turner, job unknown but he is a resident of Chicago."

"So what've we got to work with?" Ruzek asked, leaned against his desk, his feet crossed at the ankles.

Voight walked to the board. "The only thing we know right now is they're in the city. We need eyes everywhere, so we'll split up and keep look out for these three. If anyone gets any hits you report back to me immediately. I've got a call to make."

He walked into his office and dialed his home phone number, tapping his fingers lightly on his desk.

_"Hello?"_

"Justin," he sighed into the receiver. "I need you to stay home today and watch the house, I heard someone sneakin' around last night."

_"Sure, Dad." _He yawned. _"Lauren at work?"_

"Yeah," he lied easily. "She had an early shift. I'll see ya when I get home, son."

He shoved the phone into his pocket and grabbed his badge from the top desk drawer.

"He doesn't know?" Erin asked quietly, peeking into the office with a small frown.

Voight's eyes met hers and narrowed. "Thought I told you to split up?"

"Forgot my phone," she held the small device up. Just before she turned to leave, she threw him a sympathetic look. "Justin's going to be really upset that you didn't tell him."

As if a weight had been placed on his sternum he replied. "What he don't know won't hurt him." He pointed to the door. "Now go."

He watched her turn and slam the door, shaking her head as she looked back to him.

_Everyone gets a dose of disappointment today._

* * *

Lauren attempted to remove the rope that bound her wrists together tightly. With a muffled cry she tried with all her might to pull them apart, to no avail, and gasped as her head lolled back onto the wall she sat against. She stretched her legs out and winced as her knees popped angrily. Her eyes were used to the dark, for she'd been surrounded by it for hours.

Her dry mouth ached from the unwelcome object that unhinged her jaw, a dirty white cloth tied around her entire head. She tried to soothe her throat by swallowing, but was choked by the fabric.

Suddenly light flooded the small brick room, burning Lauren's eyes harshly.

"Well, well," William's chuckle brought chills up her spine. "Looks like the princess can't help herself, can she?"

_Just wait, you miserable bastard._

"Word around town's your policeman is lookin' for us."

_He **will **find me._

"Just to let you know," he seethed as he crouched before her, his eyes burning with fury, "you get stabbed for every step he makes inside this building."

_Please hurry, Voight._

* * *

**A/N: I'm sorry for the long wait, for some reason my mind won't stop cooking up plots and I had to write them before they were lost! But I finally got back into the groove of this story, and I loved writing this chapter. Yay for some Dawson and Ruzek, don't you think? Let me know what you loved/hated about this one, guys!**


	15. Open Your Eyes

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor do I claim to, own anything (or one) from Chicago PD. All who you might recognize are likely from the show, I only own my original characters.**

* * *

Lauren's captivity had been upgraded somewhat, her arms and legs were now strapped to an old chair with worn leather belts. When William took his chance to move her she didn't have the strength to fight him; she hadn't eaten since her meal with Erin. Her face crumpled painfully as her stomach voiced it's protest with a loud, clenching growl.

"Little Laurie's hungry, huh?" William snickered. "Wonder what'll kill you first, starvation or dehydration?"

_I know what's gonna kill **you** when I get out of this hellhole._

"I personally hope it's dehydration," he moved closer, his mouth brushing her bruised temple. "I hear it's much more painful."

She closed her eyes tightly in hopes of blocking his voice, but it only encouraged his behavior. His hand went to her thigh, his thumb tracing lightly over it's length. "There was a day when I'd kill to be with you," he admitted quietly. "Why'd you have to ruin me, Laurie? Make all others pale in comparison to you? I was with others, you know- women."

Lauren fought the urge to roll her eyes and settled for a raised eyebrow instead.

"Yeah, there was one," he smirked at the recollection. "A sexy little blonde thing- she had legs for miles- but the only thing I could think of in the middle of the night was you-" he pointed his finger in her face, "you, Laurie. Want to know why?"

"Because you have the sweetest, tightest little-"

"Hey boss," Paulie interrupted quickly, his speech sounded as if he had a mouthful of saliva. "We got company."

Lauren's heart began to pound so loudly she could hear it in her ears. She attempted to twist her arms free, only resulting in irritating the severe burns already inflicted on them.

"Let me go!" She tried to scream, but it was only muffled into the cloth.

William pulled a knife from his pocket and flipped it open with a flick of his wrist. He quickly moved behind her, pressing the blade against her throat harshly. She whimpered when she felt the burning of a shallow cut on the hollow of her throat; the cold, thick blood trailed down and pooled on the collar of her shirt.

He bent down to her ear and seethed, "Do that again and I promise you'll regret it."

She barely nodded and coughed from the dryness of her throat.

"I'm going to go pay our little friend a visit," William stated. "You remember our deal- every step is a stab, Laurie."

_Please God, I'll never ask for anything again if you let everyone leave this alive._

* * *

Justin lay on the soft cushions of the sofa in the living room, his head slowly falling onto the armrest. It had been sixteen hours since his father left, and even longer since he last spoke to Laurie. His mind replayed their short conversation at dinner a few nights back.

_She's the kind of woman Mom would want to see me with._

The shrill ringtone bounced between the walls, causing Justin to jump with surprise. He moved to answer it quickly, hoping it'd be one of the two.

"Hello."

"_Hello," _a woman's broken voice said. _"I-Is this Voight?"_

Justin raised a brow, and decided to answer on his father's behalf. "Yes it is."

_"D-Did you find them? Did you find Laurie and the kids?"_

"What do you mean find them?" It felt like a thousand pound weight had been thrown onto his chest.

_"You said you'd find them!" _The woman began to sob desperately into the receiver. "_You promised I'd see them again!"_

A numbness had spread over his entire body, mostly concentrated in his hands and face. "You will, I gotta go."

Quickly he scrolled through his contacts, his fingers too shaky to manually dial. When he landed on his father's name he clicked 'Send'. A sudden rage overtook his body when he heard his father's voice, but he fought to calm it, just like he'd been taught in the army.

"Voight."

Justin took a deep breath. "What's goin' on, Pop? Where's Lauren?"

"Justin-"

"Where is she? And don't give me some bullshit answer I just got a call from a woman asking for you, wanting to know if you _found _Lauren."

He clenched his hand around the circumference of the phone as his father's deep voice replied. "She's been kidnapped, Justin. Her ex-husband has her and her sister's kids."

"Pop-"

"We're comin' up on the location, Justin. We're gonna get them back. I'll call you when it's over."

"Dad, be careful-"

Voight cut him off. "I love you, son."

Justin opened his mouth to respond but was promptly met with a busy signal.

_Love you too, Pop._

* * *

Lauren's breath came out in puffs as she tried to breath through her bloody nose. Paulie had taken over William's place of leader in the room when he'd gone to check the 'guests' as they liked to say. The plump man drew his hand back again, landing it with a harsh snap against her cheek; her head flew back onto the back of the chair as the metallic taste of blood filled her mouth.

She swallowed it down, silently gagging from it's pungent taste.

"You just wait until Will gets back," he grinned, holding her head up by her matted hair. "He promised that I'd get to have a little fun with ya."

He leaned toward her and licked the blood that crusted to her neck. "I always liked a submissive woman."

_I'll make you think submissive, you nasty little man._

She threw her head forward with as much force as she could muster and groaned in pain as she heard the satisfying crack of his nose. Her vision blurred slightly, but her rapid blinking helped to clear it faster.

"You bitch," Paulie moaned as he nursed his nose. "You'll pay for that."

Lauren could hear a herd footsteps in the distance and silently prayed they were coming her way. She took a couple deep breaths and screamed to the top of her voice and began to thrash around in the seat. The footsteps sped up, so she continued.

"Stop it," Paulie commanded from the floor. In a moment he propelled forward, moving faster than someone his size should, and stood beside her, a look of anger on his face. He too pulled a knife from a strap on his side, pointing it at her threateningly. "I said stop it."

Lauren's eyes went wide, but before she could close them she heard her savior's voice.

Voight turned around the corner, a pistol clutched tightly in his hand. "Chicago PD! Drop the weapon!"

From her seat she saw Paulie's face pale, and just as she locked eyes with Voight he plunged the knife deep into her abdomen.

She screamed as a blinding pain filled the lower part of her stomach and bent forward as if to push the offending object out of her.

Multiple gunshots were fired, and even with her blinding pain she heard Paulie's lifeless body crumple to the floor. Voight ran to her after holstering his gun, his eyes searching her over as he freed her of her bonds. He unwrapped her mouth and threw the cloth onto the floor behind him. "You're all right," he began, "you're going to be okay."

She winced and felt the need to empty her stomach. "Voight," she whispered. "The twins?"

"Shh, don't talk. We got 'em, they're fine- not a scratch." He shook his head lightly. "We need medical, now!" He roared to the other police. "Stay with me, Lauren," he commanded gruffly. She felt his hand smack her cheek gently. "C'mon, open your eyes."

She felt him wrap her arm around his neck and he gently lifted her from the chair, the pain still coming to her in waves. She cried out, her hand instantly moved to her stomach.

"Don't touch it," Voight directed.

Her head weighed heavy and fell directly onto his chest. The last thing she heard was Voight's deep voice calling her name.

* * *

**A/N: I'm sorry for the long wait, I'm not good at writing action scenes! I hope it's up to par for you guys, but I honestly am disappointed with it. (I re-wrote it like ten times over. :() But Justin finally found out about what happened! I think he'd be more in shock than distress, as would most people, don't you agree? Review, my lovies, and I promise the next chapter will be better!**


	16. Taking Care of You

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor do I claim to, own anything (or one) from Chicago PD. All who you might recognize are likely from the show, I only own my original characters.**

* * *

Snow fluttered happily by the hospital windows, lavishly coating each pane of glass with a chilly residue. The sun had set long ago, and even with the Chicago skyline the outside world seemed just a bit darker. The small room was cold, seemingly keeping in touch with the weather.

A loud, consistent beeping stirred Lauren from her medically induced slumber. She blinked her green eyes slowly, taking in the horrendously pale white walls that surrounded her. Her eyes moved toward the window, watching the light snow fell onto a large tree that sat just outside her room. Her breathing increased and suddenly memories of the warehouse flashed in her mind and she bolted upright, crying out when she felt a sharp pain in her abdomen.

"Miss Evans," a balding man dressed in a white coat rushed into the room, his hands pressing her back into the bed with a stern look, "you can't be so rash with your movements- you've only come out of surgery."

"Surgery?" Her voice sounded foreign. She glanced to her arm and winced when she noticed the needles and tubs connected to her.

He nodded and used his pointer finger to push his glasses up farther onto his nose. "Yes. Do you remember being stabbed?"

She narrowed her eyes angrily at the man. "Of course I do, William and Paulie kidnapped me-" she stopped mid-sentence. "Ella and the twins," she whispered. " I want to see them."

"And you can," he comforted. "We just need you to answer some questions-"

A swift knock at the door interrupted him. Both Lauren and the doctor looked toward the sound, surprised to see Voight lumbering in the doorway. "I think she's had enough talk for one day, doctor." He ambled into the room. "Go tell her sister she's awake."

"Detective, I-"

Voight stepped closer to the man, "Go."

Quickly the man turned and sped out of the room, his coat flapping loudly in the wind behind him.

"Voight," Lauren motioned him closer, beckoning him by wagging her finger toward herself. He moved slower than she thought he was capable of and silently stood by her beside. She noticed that he discarded his badge and signature leather jacket, as he stood before her in a dark flannel and jeans.

Her throat constricted with emotions, so she looked away from him. "How can I ever thank you?"

"I was just doin my job," he jammed his hands into his pockets. He nodded his head slightly and tightened his jaw. "Listen, I shouldn't have ran you out that night-"

She shook her head and grabbed his wrist. "Please. I wouldn't be here if not for you and your crew, neither would Ryder and Katie."

Lauren watched him, his eyes uncomfortably darting around the room. "Hank," she whispered as tears filled her eyes. "Thank you."

"Of course," he nodded, a small smile on his lips. He placed his hand on hers, which was still holding onto his wrist tightly, and pat it lightly. "Your sister's just outside, I'll go get her."

"Okay."

Her family rushed inside the doors, all with their own smile. The twins climbed into bed with her- Ryder was by her left side, Katie on her right- Ella sat at her feet and just stared at her baby sister, tears falling freely onto the bed.

"Laurie," her lip quivered violently. "How ya feelin'?"

Lauren forced a smile and lightly squeezed the children's hands. "Best I have in a while," she said softly. "Everything's okay now, El. Nothing bad can happen to us anymore."

Ella smiled through her tears, "Yeah." She moved closer to kiss Lauren's bruised face lightly, then pulled her red hair into a loose bun that perched on top of her head. Lauren felt her lips against her ear, "Your boy's outside waiting on you."

Lauren couldn't fight the painful smile that overtook her face. "Really?"

"Yeah, he's been here since they brought you in. He's a real sweetheart, Lauren- he's helped with the kids the entire time."

"Could you?" Lauren didn't have to finish the thought- Ella had already grabbed the children by their hands and lead them into the hall. She turned and gave Lauren a wink before continuing down the hall to retrieve the man who'd been on Lauren's mind from the day she met him.

After a moment of waiting she heard a low cough from the hallway, drawing her eyes to the source. Justin entered the room, his head hung low and just like his father, his hands were shoved deep into his pockets. He sat in the chair at her beside, his eyes never leaving the floor.

"Justin?"

He inhaled deeply, then as if she were dead he glanced to her. "Hey," he said quietly.

"You alright?" She asked calmly.

A small, nervous chuckle erupted from his throat, "I think I should be asking you that question."

"I'm fine," she assured and attempted to sit up to prove her claim. She pushed against the bottom of the bed with her feet and quickly rethought her actions. "Could, uh, could you help me?"

He rushed to her side and slid his arms around her, gently pulling her into an upright position. Her breathing hitched when she noticed the small distance from his face to her own.

"You okay?" He asked quietly, staring deep into her eyes.

She nodded breathlessly, "Yeah."

She watched his pale blue eyes flicker to her lips before licked his own.

"Justin," she whispered, her hand gripping onto the fabric of his sleeve, "please."

He leaned in ever so slowly, capturing her lips in the sweetest, most gentle kiss she'd ever been the recipient of. His large hand gently caressed the nape of her neck, his fingers crawling into her hair softly.

"Your dad is going to kill us," she whispered against his lips.

His breathy chuckle warmed her heart. "I don't care, Lauren. The only thing I care about right now is taking care of you."

_Those are the words I've been longing to hear._

* * *

**A/N: Aw, they're reunited! A huge thank you to busybeekisses19- without your constant words of encouragement I think this story would have died within the first few chapters! And for the rest of you, leave some reviews! Feedback keeps me going, guys!**


	17. Christmas

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor do I claim to, own anything (or one) from Chicago PD. All who you might recognize are likely from the show, I only own my original characters.**

* * *

_One Month Later_

* * *

The Voight residence held four new occupants for Christmas that year. Hank had been insistent on Lauren inviting her family into his home to celebrate the holiday. Katie and Ryder had a blast playing with Justin, and for the first time Lauren had the opportunity to see them interact. He melted her heart as he picked Ryder from the floor and tossed him into the hair, 'just like an airplane,' he had said.

"Me too, Justy," Katie squealed, her pigtails bouncing as she jumped in place, her arms extended up to him. Her large, green eyes widened when he swooped down to grab her and place her on his hip gently. Then, as if he'd practiced for the moment his entire life, he grabbed her hand and held it out before them as he began to spin them in circles, his knees bending with every step. Katie wrapped her free arm around his neck with a shrill giggle.

"How 'bout this," he offered. "Girls usually like this, don't they?"

Ella stood behind her sister and placed her arms around her waist, her chin resting on Lauren's shoulder. "They're dancing?"

"Yeah," Lauren swooned with a warm grin and placed her hands over her sisters. "This is great."

The two stood in the embrace for a moment before going to sit on beside the large Christmas tree in the corner of the room, just as they had as children.

"This is the first Christmas we've had as a family since Mimi and Poppy died," Lauren noted softly. "She'd be so happy we're together again."

Ella reach for her hand and gave it a tight squeeze. "I love you, Laurie."

"I love you too," she smiled.

She watched as Justin sat her niece down onto the floor and pulled on her hair softly. "You're gonna be a professional dancer one day, kid."

"Aunt Lauren," she ran to her aunt and plopped into her lap with an 'umph', "you come dance with me now."

Lauren snickered and hugged the child, "Aunt Lauren doesn't dance, honey."

"I couldn't either," she retaliated with a toothless smile, "Justy taught me, though. Hey, I bet he could teach you, too!"

Lauren shook her head lightly and raised to her feet slowly. She walked into the kitchen where Hank was bent at the waist, checking the ham he had in the oven- a towel thrown over his shoulder carelessly. She noticed the small smile that etched its way onto his lips when he heard Justin and Ryder erupt into laughter.

"Hey Scrooge why aren't you enjoying the festivity?" Lauren joked as she leaned onto the counter behind him. "C'mon, I'll finish up in here, go celebrate Christmas."

Hank glanced to her. "Nah, that's alright. Everything's about finished, I just need to get the bird out."

"Thanks for having us, it really means a lot that you welcomed Ella and the kids in like that." She put a hand on his back, "you're a good man, Hank Voight."

Voight clicked his tongue in response. "There's a lot of people who'd disagree with that."

Lauren rolled her eyes and laughed. "Hurry up in here, we're opening gifts soon."

* * *

The household was gathered by the tree, wrapping paper littered around each person. Katie and Ryder's eyes grew five sizes when Hank entered the house with two new bikes for them, and they quickly abandoned the other presents they'd been given. Hank and Ella followed the twins outside to let them enjoy their bicycles.

"Thank you, Mr. Voight," Ella said with a watery smile. "I couldn't afford to get them expensive gifts this year after-"

Voight held his hand up to silence her. "They're good kids."

"They are," Ella agreed as she wiped her eyes with her gloved hands. "Thank you."

"Call me Hank," he responded quietly, watching her from his place on the ground. A stiff wind stirred the snow from it's mounds on the streets.

"Merry Christmas, Hank."

* * *

Inside, Justin and Lauren sat in front of the fire, her head on his shoulder. His hands went to her legs and gently pulled them into his lap, then looked to her with a lidded grin.

"This is incredible," Lauren smiled to him. "I will never forget this Christmas- not for as long as I live."

She had never seen his eyes as intense as they were in that moment. For a moment she thought she had angered him- his nostrils flared with emotion before he leaned closer to her. He reach a hand forward to touch her face, and with a gentle finger tilted her head up to meet his lips in a passionate kiss.

Lauren inhaled sharply, his spicy cologne filling her mind as he moved his lips against hers with purpose. She closed her eyes and melted against him as she felt his hand on the side of her neck, his long fingers softly twining into her hair. She scooted forward on her knees, now fully resting against his broad chest.

He moved his attention elsewhere, his lips leaving smaller kisses across her mouth, then on her nose and finally her forehead. He pulled her into his arms, his grip tightening with each ragged breath.

"I love you."

Lauren's breath caught in her throat as the words slipped from her lips. She felt the tips of her ears catch fire with her admission, as did the rest of her body- the temperature quickly rose. She buried her face into his shirt in shame, unable to look into his steely eyes. His hands pressed her into him further and he exhaled a breathy chuckle.

"Lauren?"

She swallowed the lump that sat in the base of her throat and attempted to respond. "Yeah?"

Justin pulled his head back to make sure she saw his face. "I love you." He swooped in for a kiss and whispered the words once more onto her lips. "I love you."

He pulled her gently from the couch and wrapped his arms around her before he moved his feet slowly against the floor in a rhythm. Lauren's brow furrowed as she looked to him in confusion. "Justin what are you doing?"

"Dancing with you." He said simply as he stared into her eyes.

Lauren's heart felt as if it would burst as she nodded and lay her head on his chest. "Okay."

Justin whispered loving words into wind as they began to float across the Voight family room as one, no music to be found. Lauren felt her arms tighten around the man she'd come to love, who showed her what love truly was- all because she'd chosen Chicago.

* * *

**Oh my gosh, I can't believe it! I've completed my first story (and I'm so glad it's in this fandom!). I hope you've enjoyed the ride you've taken with these characters. I'm going to do a few one-shots for this story to give you a little more insight to their lives in the future!**

**But that's it, guys! I'd like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the response I've gotten from this! Keep your eyes peeled for more updates in the future!**


	18. Postscript I

**Disclaimer, disclaimer: I do not, nor do I claim to own anything related to Chicago PD. I only own Lauren and her family.**

_I suddenly got a notion to write more of these two (and come on, who can control what their brain works up when they're sleepy?), so here goes! I hope you enjoy!_

* * *

Lauren and Justin lounged on the sofa, her feet resting in his lap as he laughed at his favorite show on the television- The Looney Tunes. His fingers worked circles on her ankles, soothing her so effectively she had to fight her sleep. She yawned and wiggled her toes to get his attention.

"Sweetie, not that it doesn't feel amazing," she began with a grin, "but if you don't stop I'm going to fall asleep."

Justin winked and brought her foot up, placing a small kiss on the top of it. "What are you readin'?"

His question brought forth a fire in her eyes. She sat up slightly, her back against the armrest. "Pride and Prejudice."

He smirked and shook his head. "How many times have you read that book?"

"I wouldn't know," she laughed. "It's my favorite book of all time, though. Have you ever read it?"

"No." He said slowly, a brow raised at her response. "I didn't really read in school, sweetie."

"Of course not," Lauren scoffed and rolled her eyes. "You should try it, you'd love it. Well, maybe not," she reasoned, "it doesn't have any anvil falling on people's heads." She pointed her finger at the flat screen that loomed on the wall.

"Hey," he defended his inner child. "I've seen you laugh at it, too."

Lauren grinned and flipped the page gently, as if to preserve it forever. "You should seriously try reading it," she urged. "You never know..."

He pursed his lips and gave a nod, "Fine. When you take your nap I'll look into it." Lauren eyed him suspiciously and smiled in disbelief. "I promise. I'll even bookmark the page I get to."

"Okay," she agreed. They leaned forward and sealed their deal with their own special seal- a small, chaste kiss.

* * *

Justin woke by the alarm he set on his watch and glanced over to find his girl still asleep.

_Thank God she sleeps like a log._

He stealthily moved to her side of the bed, knowing she'd be up bright and early in the morning to read a small insert of her book, just like she did every morning, and replaced her bookmark with a small piece of paper he crafted especially for her.

With a satisfied smile he tiptoed back across the room and snuggled into her side, a sly smile on his lips as he did so.

"Hope that tides you over, baby." He whispered against her shoulder.

* * *

The next morning Lauren rose with the sun, stretching against the bed with a yawn. She pawed at the nightstand beside her for her bottled water and took a few sips before sitting upright in the bed. With her glasses on she opened her book with a smile.

"That ass," she whispered hotly when she discovered her favorite bookmark was gone. "I know he didn't read this far."

She licked her lips and flipped the paper over, expecting a blank piece of paper, but instead saw Justin's scratchy handwriting. It nearly stopped her heart.

_We need to talk A.S.A.P -Justin_

She jumped from the bed, her spot in the book forever lost, and ran into the living room in desperation for answers.

"Justin?" Her voice cracked hesitantly. She peeked around the wall into the kitchen to see her boyfriend kneeling before her on the tiled floor. "What- what are you doing," she asked, her breath coming out in puffs.

"I figured if Darcy could do it I could too." Tears flooded her eyes when he shrugged his shoulders with a grin. Lauren ambled toward him slowly, her legs feeling like they could give out at any second. She sank to her knees in front of him, lightly framing his face in her hands. "Make me the happiest man in the world and marry me, Lauren."

"Yes," she whispered. "Yes!" Her head couldn't move fast enough for the nods she wanted to produce, so she simply crashed into him, sending them both flying onto the floor. Justin wrapped his arms around her as they both exploded into laughter.

"You know Elizabeth turned him down once, don't you?" Lauren looked up to him with a face-splitting smile.

Justin blinked slowly. "Yeah, well it's a good thing I didn't read that book, isn't it."

* * *

**A/N: They're engaged guys! I'll likely update this often, and may even expand the story into a short sequel, but we'll have to see, I'm not too sure on it yet. Anyway, what'd you think? Let me know in the comments!**


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